Church statement regarding U.S missionaries being banned from Switzerland

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement in response to news media inquiries regarding a new policy in Switzerland that would ban all missionaries from non-European Union countries beginning in 2012:

The Church has a long history in Switzerland dating back to 1850. We hope a solution can be found that allows missionaries, regardless of their country of origin, to continue to serve the Swiss people.

In our experience, the Church's missionaries return home after service in Switzerland with great love and respect for the people, history and culture of the country.